Self-Care Agency in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients Receiving Conservative Treatment in Ambulatory Practice

Abstract

Objectivese purpose of this study was to characterize the self-care agency that knee osteoar-thritis patients receiving conservative treatment in ambulatory practice need in order to remove or relieve factors that may worsen the disease course and to improve the quality of life by appropriately managing symptoms and disease-associated dysfunction. MethodsData were collected from 18 outpatient participants with primary osteoarthritis of the knee through semi-structured interviews and content analysis was performed. ResultsSelf-care agency in patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knee can be classied into the following 12 categories: responsibility for oneself and self-determination, ability to acquire knowledge about the disease, understanding the necessity of adherence to treatment, ability to be aware of and analyze ones weakness, prioritizing going at ones own pace, ability to recognize and accept the positives in ones current situation, ability to motivate oneself to achieve a better life, ability to continue self-care and be patient while waiting for its eects, paying attention to information necessary for disease management, maintaining an active approach to prevent deterioration, adjusting ones life style to reduce joint loading, and ability to request support from dependable sources in ones life. Conclusionsese ndings inform the nurses understanding of self-care agency in patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knee and contribute to eorts to improve self-care agency in patients. OA